Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1b7V7xTBLG4 Textual Evidence Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1b7V7xTBLG4
Words to know: explicit: stated directly, very clear implicit: not stated directly requires us to use evidence to figure out the author’s message imply: to express or indicate something without directly stating it infer: to guess, speculate, or conclude from evidence and your own prior knowledge
Example of explicit message: “Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do...” (Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland) We are told directly how Alice is feeling.
Example of an implicit message: “Though possessed of half a dozen hats, it took him some time to find one, then there was a hunt for the key, which was at last discovered in his pocket…” (Alcott, Little Women) What’s happening? What can we infer about the character?
Evidence: Conclusion: He has six hats but still can’t find one. He can’t find his key, even though it’s in his pocket. Conclusion: He is disorganized, irresponsible, loses things easily...
“Eckels swayed on the padded seat, his face pale, his jaw stiff “Eckels swayed on the padded seat, his face pale, his jaw stiff. He felt the trembling in his arms…” (Bradbury, “A Sound of Thunder”) Explicitely stated evidence: Eckels looks pale, his jaw is tense, and he is trembling. Our inferred conclusion: Eckels is nervous/scared/anxious.
Another difference: Explicit messages are clear. It’s hard to misinterpret them. Implicit messages may mean different things to different people, depending on background and culture. We can interpret pieces of literature differently because we have different life experiences.
Close Reading A close reading is a careful and purposeful reading of a text It requires rereading a text, sometimes several times making notes and summarizing in the margins
Annotating Annotate: to make notes in the margins and within the text itself Use your chart of annotation marks and any other notes you need in the margins.